1/72 Hasegawa Su-27B Flanker

Gallery Article by Francois Poulic on Aug 4 2003

 

After having built an F15, a logical choice was to build a SU27 which I saw (from too away.....) at Le Bourget once.  The only model shop in my city was closing down when this model appeared, so I got the opportunity to have that model for only $22 (7 years ago so..........).  Compared to the regular price of $55 !!!!!!!!! which I would never spend on a box of plastic parts...........sorry to be less respectful about our lovely hobby.

Of course for that price some photoetched details were included, as well as a white metal seat.  Well, the model was very "Hasegawa", so very nice crisp engraving, nice moulding and so on, but the first thing that disappointed me was the lack of recess areas to put the fine metal grills........as no plastic details were existing I was forced to do the work myself  to get a good result.........finally lot's of work !, and it wasn't finished..............

I always spend lots of time to look at the documentation to find something "special" on an aircraft, and I prefer operational "used" aircraft..........when I saw the BLUE 24 in the World Airpower Journal Aerospace Super Profile #1 about the SU27, I was fixed, with its bicolor nose and noticeable paint patches !(now there are so much pics.......)

But also, what impressed me a lot, was the way you always believe that the SU27 will touch the runway with its radar cone when it lands, so I decide to represent the "bird" in that position. 

 

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So, basically, all I created flaps and leading edges were dropped, add a bunch of extra raised details on the fins, air intakes, and on wing area.  For the compressed nose landing gear, I rebuilt it with a metal part from an Heller Hi Tech series one, using the Hasegawa wheel.   Also, the entire inside of the airbrake was "dressed" as it should as the inside isn't the same shape as the outside as given in the box.  For the pleasure, I had the chaft flares holes on the tail, as well as detailing the main landing gear haft (almost invisible), as well as the targeting sight in the glass bubble on the nose.

The painting was done with EXTRACOLOR Enamels, that are really very thin, as also get the advantage to be glossy, which avoid one operation for the decals application.
By the way, the color designed for the Flanker are very accurate for the Le Bourget planes first seen at that time in Western counties, but far too dark for a faded operational one.  I've used the Extracolor Light Blue referenced as Mil Mi 24 belly, the
light one referenced for the SU27 as medium, and lighted by 30% of white the dark/blue gray shade.  As I'm surely one of the slowest modeller of the world, the Hi Decal Line # 72-024 was issued, including Blue 24 deco, good time saving.  Weathering was done this time with a gray Windsor Artist Oil paint (after decals and camo was sealed with a matt Acrylic varnish) as raw amber will have been too much for a grey/blue shade, few stains and shoes prints around the engines, and here we are !
I hope you will enjoy,

Francois Poulic

Note: Till then, I've discovered the huge work of Ken Duffey around the SU27.  If it is completely right that the rear is far too wide, the nozzles too big, the general impression for me is quite a Flanker model no ?  (What is for sure, it is forbidden to put on the same table an Heller / Encore / Hasegawa models.......................)

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Photos and text © by Francois Poulic